Poster mounting

ABSTRACT

A poster mounting apparatus includes an elongate mounting member ( 2 ) in the form of a hinge with a longitudinal hinge axis, having a movable leaf ( 9 ) and a fixed leaf ( 11 ) which is securable to a support. The movable leaf ( 9 ) has a longitudinal groove ( 23 ) for receiving a bar-like portion ( 28 ) provided on an edge of a poster ( 24 ) and is pivotable about the hinge axis between an open position, in which the bar-like portion can be inserted into and removed from the groove ( 23 ), and a closed position, in which the groove ( 23 ) opens in a direction away from the main part of the poster ( 24 ) so that the bar-like portion is retained in the groove. The movable leaf ( 9 ) is releasably connectable to the fixed leaf ( 11 ) to maintain the movable leaf in the closed position. An elongate edging element ( 26 ) for the poster comprises an extrusion having a strip-like portion ( 27 ) for connection to an edge portion of the poster and a bar-like portion ( 28 ) for connection to the poster mounting apparatus. The strip-like portion ( 27 ) comprises a first plastics material, e.g. polyurethane, and is relatively flexible and the bar-like portion ( 28 ) comprises a second plastics material, e.g. PVC, and is relatively stiff.

This invention relates to the mounting of posters. In this specification the word “poster” is used as a general term and includes any form of sheet material bearing an image, artwork, or lettering, e.g. an advertising banner.

It is known to mount a poster on a mounting apparatus fixed to a support such as a wall, a light box, or the side of a vehicle. WO03/049069 discloses such an apparatus. With that apparatus, the edges of the poster have to be provided with beads by wrapping an edge portion of the poster around a bar.

The invention provides a poster mounting apparatus including an elongate mounting member in the form of a hinge with a longitudinal hinge axis, the hinge having a movable leaf and a fixed leaf which is securable to a support, the movable leaf having a longitudinal groove for receiving a bar-like portion provided on an edge of a poster, the movable leaf being pivotable about the hinge axis between an open position, in which the bar-like portion can be inserted into and removed from the said groove, and a closed position, in which the groove opens in a direction away from the main part of the poster so that the bar-like portion is retained in the groove, the movable leaf being releasably connectable to the fixed leaf to maintain the movable leaf in the closed position.

The present invention also provides an elongate edging element for a poster, comprising an extrusion having a strip-like portion for connection to an edge portion of the poster and a bar-like portion for connection to a poster mounting apparatus.

The invention will be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a poster mounting apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a section on line II-II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlargement of detail III in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section on line IV-IV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlargement of detail V in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows the fixed leaf of the hinge illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 shows the movable leaf of the hinge;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a spring clip;

FIG. 9 is a section through an elongate edging element for a poster; and

FIG. 10 is a section through another elongate edging element, for the top edge of the poster.

The poster mounting apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is in the form of a frame attached to one or more vertical supports (not shown). The frame is made up of four elongate mounting members 1 to 4: a top member 1, a bottom member 2, a left-hand member 3, and a right-hand member 4. The apparatus is intended for use with posters several metres long (e.g. 6 to 14 m) and several metres high. The mounting members 1 to 4 have substantially the same width and depth (thickness) and are connected together at mitered edges 5, which contributes to the stability of the apparatus.

The top mounting member 1 (FIGS. 2 and 3) consists of a single metallic extrusion (in particular made of aluminium) having a web 6 for attachment to a support and an upper body 7 with an undercut groove 8 which is open downwardly to receive an edging element provided on the poster as described below.

The bottom mounting member 2 is in the form of a hinge with a longitudinal hinge axis. The hinge has a movable leaf 9 and a fixed leaf 11, which is fixed to a support. Both leaves 9, 11 are metallic extrusions (in particular made of aluminium) and they are permanently connected together so that there is no risk of the movable leaf 9 being removed and damaged or lost in normal use. The fixed leaf 11 has an upper body 12 with a cylindrical bore 13 which retains a cylindrical hinge pin 14 integral with the movable leaf 9. The upper body 13 of the fixed hinge 11 is connected by a web 16 to a lower body 17 having a longitudinal recess 18 for receiving a longitudinal projection 19 formed on a lower body 21 of the movable leaf 9. The recess 18 has trapped within it a number of spring clips 22 for releasably retaining the projection 19 in the recess 18.

The leaf 9 is movable from the closed position shown in FIG. 4 to an open position in which it extends roughly at right angles to the web 16 of the fixed leaf 11 and in which a bead provided on the edge of a poster can be easily inserted into or removed from a groove 23 (as described below). In the closed position of the movable leaf 9 the groove 23 opens in a direction away from the main part of the poster.

The side of mounting members 3, 4 are similar to the bottom mounting member 2, are parallel to each other, and are arranged mirror—symmetrically.

A poster 24 is indicated in chain dotted line in FIGS. 2 and 4. Each of the bottom, left-hand, and right-hand edges of the poster is provided with an elongate edging element 26 along almost the whole of its length. The edging element is constituted by an extrusion having a strip-like portion 27 for connection to an edge portion of the poster 24 and an oblong bar-like portion 28 serving as a bead for insertion into the groove 23 in the movable hinge leaf 9. The edging element 26 is made of two different plastics materials, which are extruded together. The strip-like portion 27 is resiliently flexible and tear-resistant and is made of an elastomeric material, in particular polyurethane. The bar-like portion 28 is relatively stiff and is made of a rigid or semi-rigid plastics material (in particular PVC). On one side of the strip like portion 27 is provided with a thin adhesive layer 29 extending from the free edge of the portion 27 up to a longitudinal rib 31 against which the edge of the poster can abut.

In the present embodiment the layer 29 is made of PVC and is intended to be connected to the poster by high-frequency welding. However, it could be made of any convenient adhesive material, such as a melt adhesive or a contact adhesive, optionally protected by a temporary covering foil.

The top edge of the poster is provided with an edging element 32 which is similar to the element 26, except that it has a bar-like portion which is of round cross-section.

To mount the poster 24, the edging elements 26 and 32 are fixed to the rear surface of the edge portions of the poster. The round bar-like portion 33 along the other edge of the poster is then slid along the groove 8 in the top mounting member 1, starting at one end. The left-hand and right-hand mounting members 3 and 4 are opened and the respective strip-like portions 27 at the left and right-hand edges of the poster are inserted into the respective grooves 23, and the bottom mounting member is also opened and the corresponding bar-like portion 28 is inserted into its groove 23. The movable leaves 9 of the left-hand, right-hand, and bottom mounting members 2 to 4 are moved to the closed position in any convenient order, thereby applying tension to the poster 24 and causing the bar-like portions 28 to be retained in the respective grooves 23. 

1. A poster mounting apparatus including an elongate mounting member in the form of a hinge with a longitudinal hinge axis, the hinge having a movable leaf and a fixed leaf which is securable to a support, the movable leaf having a longitudinal groove for receiving a bar-like portion provided on an edge of a poster, the movable leaf being pivotable about the hinge axis between an open position, in which the bar-like portion can be inserted into and removed from the said groove, and a closed position, in which the groove opens in a direction away from the main part of the poster so that the bar-like portion is retained in the groove, the movable leaf being releasably connectable to the fixed leaf to maintain the movable leaf in the closed position.
 2. A poster mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which one leaf has a longitudinal projection which enters the recess when the movable leaf is in the closed position, catch means being provided to releasably retain the projection in the recess.
 3. A poster mounting apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the catch means comprises at least one spring trapped in the recess.
 4. A poster mounting apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, having two said mounting members arranged mutually parallel, spaced apart, and rmrror-symmetrically.
 5. An elongate edging element for a poster, comprising an extrusion having a strip-like portion for connection to an edge portion of the poster and a bar-like portion for connection to a poster mounting apparatus.
 6. An edging element as claimed in claim 5, in which the strip-like portion comprises a first plastics material and is relatively flexible and the bar-like portion comprises a second plastics material and is relatively stiff.
 7. An edging element as claimed in claim 6, in which the strip-like portion is resilient.
 8. An edging element as claimed in claim 7, in which the first plastics material is an elastomeric material.
 9. An edging element as claimed in any of claims 5 to 8, in which the strip-like portion has a longitudinal rib against which an edge of the poster can abut.
 10. An edging element as claimed in claim 5, in which the strip-like portion has an adhesive layer on one side.
 11. An edging element as claimed in claim 5, in which the bar-like portion has an oblong cross-section.
 12. An edging element as claimed in claim 5, in which the bar-like portion has a round cross-section.
 13. A poster provided with an elongate edging element according to claim 5, the strip-like portion of the edging element overlapping an edge portion of the poster, the bar-like portion extending parallel to the corresponding edge of the poster.
 14. A poster as claimed in claim 13, in which the edge portion of the poster adheres to the strip-like portion of the edging element.
 15. A poster as claimed in claim 13 mounted on a poster mounting apparatus including an elongate mounting member having a longitudinal groove which receives and retains the bar-like portion of the edging element.
 16. The combination of a poster mounting apparatus according to claim 1 and a poster according to claim
 13. 